It is known to use, in order to control video games, different types of interfaces, in particular in the form of controllers and joysticks, according to the applications and needs, and generally with the objective to come as close as possible to reality. As such, in order to pair with a video game, and in particular flight simulations, the user can have a joystick, having a stick, and a controller making it possible to control the power of the means of propulsion, for example the power of engines, called “throttle”.
The Applicant distributes for example such devices, and in particular products of the Hotas range (registered trademark).
Conventionally, such a throttle comprises one or several arms or levers. Each arm is mobile according to a single direction, and for example mounted pivoting around an axis on a base allowing the user to vary the power of the simulated engine (or an analogous characteristic) according to the angle that the min forms in relation to its base.
Certain throttles can comprise several mobile arms which can be integral or non-integral via a lock (for example, two arms for the throttle of a twin-engine fighter aircraft). The two arms can therefore change either in parallel (in order to vary the power of the simulated engines), or independently (in order to separately control the speed of the engines). The throttle can therefore comprise one arm per engine.
The two extreme positions, corresponding to the start and to the end of the travel, and which correspond respectively, in the simulation, to the stopping of the engines (position called “idle”) and to the maximum power of the engines, are defined by stop zones formed in or fixed to the support. For example a rail or a slideway with a circular arc can be provided, wherein a lug integral with the mobile arm in rotation is displaced.
In simulations, the start of travel of the lever of the throttles therefore generally represent the start of the combustion of the gases (if it entails a jet aircraft simulation) and the end of travel represents the maximum power, with, if the simulation and/or the aircraft which is simulated so provide, afterburner.
These two start of travel and end of travel zones are sometimes difficult to control, for the user or the player.
As such, during the simulation, it may occur that the user wanting to slow down too strongly returns the lever of the throttle to the start of travel and as such in error sends to the flight simulation software a gas cut-off signal. This can occur when the simulated aircraft is in full flight, which very often entails the stalled condition, and even the crash (virtual) of the latter.
Likewise, it can occur that the user, carried by his movement (during an acceleration), places his throttle level at the end of travel and involuntarily triggers afterburner, therefore accelerating more than planned. Here too, this can disturb the user in his simulation and result in the stalled condition (or the crash) of the craft that he is piloting.
In order to overcome this problem, prior art provides throttles comprising braking systems of the mobile arm allowing the user to adjust the resistance of the controller.
It is also known to use centre detent potentiometers, which allow the user to perceive in his gesture the detent of the potentiometer and as such to slow down his movement during the approach of the triggering zone of the afterburner for example.
A disadvantage with these throttles with centre detent potentiometers is the fact that the user, although he feels the resistance generated by the detent potentiometer, is required to slow down his gesture at the approach of one of the extreme positions if he does not want to trigger either the stopping of the combustion or the triggering of the afterburner.
Another disadvantage with these throttles with centre detent potentiometers resides in the fact that the detent cannot be deactivated. Indeed, simulations and/or certain simulated aircraft do not all necessarily provide afterburner, yet a user who is using a throttle with detent potentiometer during the simulation of an aircraft that does not include afterburner still feels the detent.